INTRO: All eyes are on Tampa Bay as the Bucs continue their search for their next offensive coordinator. After a series of Zoom interviews with OC candidates earlier in the week, Todd Bowles and Jason Licht brought in the big guns in former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken for an in-person interview on Wednesday, followed by another in-person interview with former Dolphins head coach and play-caller Mike McDaniel on Friday.

Could one of these experienced play-callers be hired by Tampa Bay? What happens if the Bucs can’t land either prime candidate? That’s the focus of today’s SR’s FAB 5 column, plus some scoop on who the next Bucs secondary coaches might be. Enjoy!

FAB 1. Will Todd Monken Or Mike McDaniel Be Bucs’ Next OC?

It’s crazy to think that Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are the only NFL teams that will have a different offensive coordinator for the fifth straight year.

The Bucs have gone from firing Byron Leftwich in 2022 to Dave Canales in 2023, then to Liam Coen in 2024 when Canales became head coach of the Panthers. Then came the in-house promotion of Josh Grizzard to replace Coen when Coen became the head coach of the Jaguars in 2025. After one year with better statistics than Canales – but not as good as Coen – Grizzard was fired as the scapegoat so that head coach Todd Bowles could keep his job.

The Eagles have gone from Shane Steichen (2022) to Brian Johnson (2023) to Kellen Moore (2024) to Kevin Patullo (2025) to their new hire in 2026. Steichen and Moore left to become head coaches with the Colts and Saints, respectively.

But the biggest difference between the Bucs and the Eagles over the last four seasons is that Tampa Bay has gone 8-9, 9-8, 10-7 and 8-9 over that span, while Philadelphia has gone 14-3, 11-6, 14-3 and 11-6 – with a Super Bowl loss (2022) and a Super Bowl win (2024).

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Jeffrey Jones/PR

The reason why Philly has been better isn’t just a better offense, as the Eagles were in the top 10 in both yards and points from 2022-24, but also the defense. The Eagles defense has also been a top 10 unit in points allowed from 2022-25 with the exception of the 2023 season.

Bowles’ defense, which has ranked outside of the top 15 in points allowed over the past two seasons, has been the problem in Tampa Bay. But the Glazers are choosing to skip over that part and keep Bowles as not only the head coach, but they are allowing him to call plays again in 2026 – a season which he’ll be on the hot seat to start the year.

When Bowles was allowed to keep his job, it was reported that the Bucs were thinking they could bolster the team with veteran coordinators like the Eagles did in 2024 when they brought in Moore to run the offense and Vic Fangio to run the defense en route to winning the Super Bowl.

It’s important to note that Philadelphia has been in position to attract high-profile hires because of their recent success.

That hasn’t been the case in Tampa Bay, where some higher-profile candidates and more experienced play-callers have turned the Bucs down, starting in 2023 when there was the perception that Bowles was on the hot seat. He had gone 8-9 in 2022, his first season as the Bucs head coach, and suffered a terrible loss to the Cowboys in the Wild Card round in Tom Brady’s final game.

Ravens OC Todd Monken – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Tommy Gilligan

Todd Monken, who was coming off back-to-back national championships at Georgia, was one of the candidates who turned down the job because he saw the chance to work with John Harbaugh and Lamar Jackson as a better opportunity with more job security in 2023. Monken, who helped Jackson win the NFL MVP in 2023 before a controversial runner-up finish in 2024, interviewed for the Bucs’ vacant offensive coordinator job on Wednesday and may be on the verge of doing the same thing again in 2026.

Monken told me he loves the thought of returning to Tampa, where he has a home after his time with the Bucs from 2016-18 as receivers coach and offensive coordinator, and working again with Chris Godwin Jr. and possibly Mike Evans. And he also loves the thought of working with Baker Mayfield again in 2026 after being the Browns OC, but not the offensive play-caller, in 2019.

But the chance to work with Harbaugh again – this time with the New York Giants – may mean that Monken will once again say no to the Bucs, who are once again coming off an 8-9 season, this time in 2025.

Ravens OC Todd Monken – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Mitch Stringer

That’s right. Monken may choose a team that is coming off a 4-13 season and has a second-year quarterback in Jaxson Dart over the Bucs. Monken has said that nothing is official with the Giants just yet, and he’s also in line for a second head-coaching interview with Cleveland next week.

Monken said the in-person interview with Tampa Bay went well, and Bucs sources told me the same thing. The team would love to hire him, but is playing the waiting game right now.

If Monken-to-the-Bucs doesn’t materialize, Tampa Bay’s last chance at a home run offensive coordinator hire could be former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel, who will interview with the Bucs in person on Friday.

McDaniel comes from the Shanahan coaching tree with roots in San Francisco (2017-21) from Kyle Shanahan, and from Kyle’s father, Mike Shanahan in Washington (2011-13). The problem is that McDaniel is in even more demand than Monken is.

McDaniel, who went 35-33 in four years with the Dolphins – the same record Bowles has with the Bucs, has interviewed for head coaching jobs in Tennessee, Cleveland, Atlanta and Baltimore. And he’s also interviewed for the vacant Detroit offensive coordinator position and there could be more OC interviews coming for McDaniel next week.

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ESPN’s Jeff Darlington has reported that McDaniel could opt for a great offensive coordinator post rather than a less-than-ideal head coaching job. One must think that coaching Mayfield, his arsenal of weapons at wide receiver, Bucky Irving, and one of the best offensive lines in the NFL has to be appealing, right?

After a week of bringing in some lesser candidates, which didn’t exactly thrill the fan base, the Bucs finally brought in the big guns in Monken and McDaniel. Let’s see if Tampa Bay can land one of these experienced play-callers to give the offense – and Bucs fans – some hope for a better season in 2026.

FAB 2. What Happens If Todd Monken, Mike McDaniel Turn Down The Bucs?

Bucs fans would love nothing more than to see the team hire Mike McDaniel after his interview in Tampa Bay on Friday. But that might not happen as McDaniel is in demand around the league for several head coaching jobs as well as other offensive coordinator posts.

And Todd Monken is still in play for the head coaching job in Cleveland and the offensive coordinator job in New York with new Giants head coach John Harbaugh, whom he coached with in Baltimore from 2023-25.

So what happens if Monken and McDaniel opt to call plays elsewhere in 2026? Who do the Bucs hire then?

Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase – IMAGN Images – Mark J. Rebilas

Some Tampa Bay fans might want to see the team get a young offensive hotshot like Rams pass game coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, 35, or Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski, 29. But neither has any play-calling experience outside of Scheelhaase doing that at Iowa State in 2023 when the Cyclones ranked 72nd in the nation, averaging 26.2 points per game.

After hiring three straight offensive coordinators with little to no play-calling experience in each of the last three years, Todd Bowles is seeking a veteran, experienced play-caller to help save his job this season.

Out of the five offensive coordinator candidates the team has interviewed not named Monken or McDaniel, the only one that I could see being an ideal fit in Tampa Bay is former Atlanta offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. He was the Falcons’ play-caller from 2024-25 before being let go when Raheem Morris was fired at the end of this past season.

The Falcons had the league’s 13th-ranked (22.9 ppg) scoring offense in 2024, but the unit fell to 24th (20.8 ppg) this past season as the team went 8-9 in back-to-back seasons, which cost Morris his job.

Former Falcons OC Zac Robinson – Photo by IMAGN Images – Brett Davis

Part of the problem in Atlanta was quarterback stability, as first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. replaced inconsistent free agent QB Kirk Cousins near the end of the 2024 season. Then Penix tore his ACL at midseason this year and was replaced by the 37-year old Cousins, who was ineffective and won’t be back next year.

But the appeal with Robinson is that like former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen, he has roots in Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams offense. Robinson spent five seasons in L.A. with McVay, elevating from the Rams assistant QBs coach to passing game coordinator/QB coach before calling plays for the first time in Atlanta in 2024. Robinson was the Rams QBs coach when Baker Mayfield was with the Rams for the end of the 2022 season.

Recently fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was only with Coen and his offense for one season in Tampa Bay. Before that, he was part of McDaniel’s offense in Miami, which is a different system. Perhaps Robinson could do what Grizzard couldn’t do in Tampa Bay, which is make the offense run more closely to where it was with Coen.

FAB 3. Bucs’ Next OC Hire Could Be Todd Bowles’ Replacement

The NFL is a cutthroat, dog-eat-dog business. And it’s not just what happens on the football field, but also what occurs off the gridiron, too.

Let’s address the elephant in the room, which is Todd Bowles’ future in Tampa Bay.

The Glazers genuinely love Bowles, don’t want to fire him, and gave him a reprieve for 2025 due to a lot of injuries the team suffered this season (although the Bucs had a better record when the team was more injured at the beginning of the season and a worse record the healthier the team got toward the end). But another losing season and/or missing the playoffs in 2026 would likely force to the team to fire Bowles for fear of risking the alienation of the entire Tampa Bay fan base.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The first coaching hire that Jason Licht made as general manager was promoting offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to head coach in 2016 after he fired Lovie Smith. If the Bucs make the right offensive coordinator in 2026 – like they did with Liam Coen in 2024 – Tampa Bay could have Bowles’ eventual replacement in house.

Licht has conducted every offensive coordinator interview along with Bowles dating back to 2023 when the two were searching for Byron Leftwich’s replacement. He’ll have some say in who is calling plays in Tampa Bay. If the Bucs underwhelm again to the point where the head coach is fired, but the offense isn’t the reason, history could repeat itself again in Tampa Bay with another offensive coordinator promotion.

Some Bucs fans wanted that to happen in 2024 when Coen’s offense clearly carried the team’s success and was the primary reason that Tampa Bay won 10 games. Instead, Coen left for Jacksonville and delivered a 13-4 record in his first season as the Jaguars head coach, while Bowles and the Bucs slumped to 8-9.

Bucs GM Jason Licht, HC Todd Bowles and OC Liam Coen – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This potential scenario is not lost on either Todd Monken, who interviewed in person for the offensive coordinator role on Wednesday, or Mike McDaniel, who interviews for the job in person on Friday. Monken, 59, wants to be an NFL head coach and was the head coach at Southern Miss from 2013-15. McDaniel was just fired after coaching the Dolphins from 2022-25.

If Tampa Bay’s offense performs well under Monken or McDaniel, either could be seen as Bowles’ possible replacement if he is fired should the team falter again in 2026, or if he retires at the end of his contract extension, which would be in 2027 if the team does not pick up his option year in 2028.

It’s worth noting that Licht has never hired a coach he’s not familiar with and hasn’t worked with before. Koetter worked for the Bucs in 2015 as the offensive coordinator. Licht had worked with Bruce Arians in Arizona from 2012-13, and also with Bowles in Arizona at that time, and of course from 2019-21 when he was Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator under Arians.

It will be interesting to see which offensive coordinator the Bucs can land – not just for 2026, but perhaps for the long-term future in Tampa Bay.

FAB 4. Bucs Could Promote Assistants In The Secondary

The Bucs have prioritized finding a new offensive coordinator and a new special teams coordinator over other staff hires, but the fact remains that there are three coaching vacancies on the defensive side of the ball. Todd Bowles fired defensive line coach Charlie Strong and cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross and safeties coach Nick Rapone would have had the same fate if he hadn’t been coerced into retirement at age 69.

With the Bucs defense actually needing more help than the offense in terms of better coaching and more talented personnel, these hires will be critical to Tampa Bay’s success in 2026 – and perhaps Bowles’ future as head coach. While there is a chance that Bowles will look outside the organization for candidates, especially a new defensive line coach, he could have the replacements for Rapone and Ross already in house.

Bucs assistant DBs coach Tim Atkins – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs assistant defensive backs Tim Atkins has been with Bowles since his days as the New York Jets head coach. Atkins was Bowles’ defensive quality control coach in New York from 2016-18 and then became Tampa Bay’s defensive quality control coach from 2019-21. He was promoted to assistant secondary coach in 2022 where he has worked closely with Rapone and the safeties ever since.

Prior to his time with Bowles, Atkins spent the 2014-15 seasons with Cleveland charting games, as well as being a defensive assistant in Buffalo during the 2011-12 seasons. Atkins broke into the NFL as a defensive assistant with Miami from 2006-08 before becoming a grad assistant at Florida Atlantic from 2008-09.

In his mid-40s, Atkins is over two decades younger than Rapone, who will turn 70 later this year. Tampa Bay’s defensive coaching staff could benefit from a youth movement with younger assistants bringing some new, fresher ideas to the table – if Bowles will listen.

Bucs assistant DBs coach Rashad Johnson – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay’s other assistant defensive backs coach, Rashad Johnson, has coached with Bowles in Tampa Bay since 2022 when he was a defensive assistant. He was promoted to assistant secondary coach in 2023 where he has worked with Ross and the team’s cornerbacks – primarily the nickelbacks.

The 40-year old Johnson is highly regarded at One Buccaneer Place as an up-and-comer with a bright future in coaching. He has worked with three rookie nickelbacks in each of the last three years in Christian Izien in the slot in 2023, Tykee Smith in 2024 and Jacob Parrish in 2025. All three had above average rookie seasons under Johnson’s watch.

Johnson was a former safety in the NFL from 2009-16. The Cardinals selected the Alabama product with their third-round draft pick in 2009 and he was coached by Bowles from 2013-14 when Bowles was Arizona’s defensive coordinator. Johnson amassed 383 tackles, 15 interceptions, including three pick-sixes, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and a sack during his NFL career.

It remains to be seen if Bowles will promote either or both to run their own rooms in the secondary. But given the fact that Bowles will likely continue to call defensive plays in Tampa Bay this year and the fact that they know the style of defense he likes to call, Atkins and Johnson check a lot of boxes. They’re far younger than the men they would be replacing, have the trust of Bowles, and are familiar with the scheme.

FAB 5. SR’s Buc Shots

• With Mike McDaniel interviewing on Friday in Tampa Bay, here are some behind the scenes clips of McDaniel to better familiarize yourself with his coaching style.

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https://twitter.com/That_Hurts/status/2011834731911069947?s=20

• Mike McDaniel is regarded as one of the true offensive innovators in the league. It’s something he takes an immense amount of pride in.

https://twitter.com/That_Hurts/status/2011917888597213642?s=20

This clip gives an amazing look at how McDaniel develops a game plan.

https://twitter.com/QBCollective/status/2011924504097013811?s=20

• Dolphins tight end Darren Waller said he was the last person Mike McDaniel spoke with before he was fired in Miami. Waller recalled what happened when Dolphins owner Stephen Ross interrupted a meeting between he and McDaniel last Thursday.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/2011945870824989046?s=20

• And finally, here are a couple of clips to give you a feel for Bucs offensive coordinator candidate Todd Monken, who spent the last three seasons with the Ravens and before that three seasons at Georgia.

This is a link to Monken’s introductory press conference in Baltimore in which he talks about his offensive philosophy in general.

This is a link to Monken’s vision for the Ravens’ offensive identity.